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In northern New Jersey, a private residence was designed predominantly with Turkish stone to reflect the owner’s traditions. A 10,000-square-foot residence in Rutherford, NJ, was completed with a custom design, fitting the owner’s taste, as well as the family’s traditional Assyrian culture. In order to achieve the intended look, a variety of Turkish natural stone, supplied by Ozer International, LLC of Harrison, NJ, was chosen to fit the design of the house.

“Color schemes were all warm in order to fit the owner’s theme for the house,” said designer/builder Sargon Adamo of Christopher Alexander Associates in Carlstadt, NJ. “We took a trip to Italy and saw [samples of stone] at the Verona Fair. ”

The general color combinations used in each room included brown, deep green, burgundy-red and light beige. Although each room had is own unique design, the consistent color palette throughout the residence made the transition from room to room very smooth.

When entering the house, the foyer sets the stage for the design theme. Its floor is comprised primarily of 18- x 18-inch polished Oyster Beige marble from Turkey, accented by inserts of 6- x 6-inch polished Light Imperador from Spain and borders of Rosso Verona marble from Italy. “The foyer was a traditional pattern,” explained Adamo. “It has a very rich feel to give the front of the house a grand entrance.”

Moving into the kitchen, the use of stone continues. “The kitchen floor was created from Rosa Anatolia marble from Turkey, which was chosen for its warm color as well as matching up well with the countertops,” said Adamo, who added that the counters were made from South American granite supplied by Seymar International in Queens, NY. The Rosa Anatolia marble tiles were laid in a diagonal pattern and feature a brushed finish, which offers superior slip-resistance. The backsplash behind the stove also features tiles of Rosa Anatolia, which were cut into 6- x 6-inch pieces. The marble was accented with pewter tile inserts. According to Adamo, the master bathroom is where the most intricate and unique stonework is found. The “Assyrian Tree of Life” is represented in a 4- x 6-square-foot mosaic that was installed behind the Jacuzzi, consisting of 3⁄8- x 3⁄8-inch polished tiles of Bursa Beige, Aegean Brown, Rosa Anatolia and Tea Rose marble, all from Turkey. On the floor of this space, a repeated pattern from the tree of life borders the floor, with corner flowers that were made from Bursa Beige and Tea Rose marble. The rest of the floor consists of 18- x 18-inch polished Breccia Oniciata marble tiles. In the powder room, more Assyrian floral patterns were used. “These Assyrian designs were inspired by the ancient culture and based on historical references,” said Adamo. “Each mosaic was custom made by Ozer International and designed by the owner. The floor mosaic in the powder room was made from Oyster Beige and Aegean Brown.” Located a few inches above the vanity top, the same flower border that was placed on the floor of the master bathroom was also used to border the powder room.

The flooring and mosaics were not the only assets of the powder room that used natural stone. “We fabricated marble cornices, chair rails, trim and base molding from slabs of Oyster Beige and 3⁄4-inch-thick Aegean Brown marble slabs were used for the vanity tops,” explained Adamo. The use of the Turkish stone continued into the child’s bathroom. “For the boy’s room, we wanted to go with a classical motif and relied on classical patterns, with the principal color being dark green,” said Adamo. “The room was being made for a little boy, but we wanted to make a design that he would be able to grow into, one that will never age or go out of style.” The stone that was used for the flooring was 12- x 12-inch polished Rustic Green marble tiles with Oyster Beige marble inserts. Behind the tub, 12- x 12-inch polished, Rustic Green marble was installed on the diagonal, framed with “mini-brick” style, tumbled Light travertine.

The use of stone throughout the home was so extensive that it even continued in the basement. The main floor was installed with 18- x18-inch filled/honed Light travertine and bordered with filled/honed Red travertine. The centerpiece mosaic in the floor was made of Teos Green, Bursa Beige and Tea Rose marble from 3⁄8- x 3⁄8-inch tumbled pieces.

“The entire installation of the stone was done in a mud set,” explained Adamo. “We had anywhere from two to three mechanics on the job, along with two helpers. This way we were able to do two to three baths at a time with two workers in each bathroom.”

The project began in the summer of 2001 and was completed in November of 2002. Within this span of time, a few challenges did present themselves throughout construction. “The biggest challenge that we faced was taking what the owner wanted and putting it onto paper,” said Adamo. “We wanted every bathroom to be unique, but we wanted to match the colors correctly as well as using strictly stone — the owners did not want ceramic tile. Also getting things at the site in a timely basis was an element that we had to keep in mind. [Overall,] the owners have been very happy with the outcome of their home. There has been much praise for the stonework, even more so than the actual construction of the house.”